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Practical Value of TG for Translator
I. Knowing Terms = Knowing the System 1.1. Match the illustrations with their term-correspondents in Russian and fill in the English equivalents in the table: 1.2. Strike the odd one out and give English equivalents: a) личное местоимение; имя нарицательное; полнозначный глагол; нулевая степень сравнения; слова, обозначающие состояние; относительное местоимение; b) обстоятельство причины; составное именное сказуемое; наклонение; однородные члены предложения; подлежащее и сказуемое; c) сложноподчиненное предложение; предикативный центр предложения; повелительное предложение; неполное предложение; сложное предложение; номинативное предложение 1.3. Provide your own examples of: k) частица; l) междометие; m) имя собственное; n) знаменательные части речи; o) превосходная степень сравнения; p) составное именное сказуемое; q) страдательный залог II. Grammar = Morphology + Syntax (both treated translationwise) 2.1. Morphology What phenomenon in the English grammar does the anecdote below tell about? One writer who went on a tour of New York's Harlem district was shown the place where Adam C. Powell was 'funeralised.' Another letter detailed an American friend's eagerness to see the Prince of Wales 'coronated.' On a flight to Boston, flight attendants promised passengers they would soon 'beverage,' but later, because of adverse weather conditions, they said they were 'unable to complete beverisation.' Asked about this trend, one American quipped: “Any noun can be verbed.” (Kevin Courtney, “Con Text Verbing.” The Irish Times, March 18, 2008) Find the cases of functional shift in the sentences and explain their conversion patterns: 1. Well, there are still four billion people out there who don't know how to yo-yo! 2. Alexander Haig (the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army): 3. “Not the way you contexted it, Senator”, 4. I Googled that hottie. 5. I was having a real fun time until I totaled my car which was a rare make, a quality ride and a collectible. Shoot! Then my parents started to quilt me. The whole thing weirded me out so bad that I couldn’t stop goddamning. I know it’s totally cliché, but I had to down a Scotch. 6. “We bled; there’s no ifs, ands or buts about that,” said Carl Ware, an executive vice president who sits on Coke’s executive committee. 7. What you should do is up the difficulty by combining moves. 8. Buoyed by strong passenger-car sales last year, the best in a decade, the largest automakers are continuing to build their brands by offering a full range of cars, from luxury models to practical compacts and stylistish minis. Grammar categories as units of translation. Mood 1. Should another explanation of this phenomenon arise I’ll be willing to hear it. 2. Don't contradict him, whatever he may say. 3. Не should be more attentive. 4. Не should have been more attentive. 5. I wanted to send for a doctor, but he wouldn't hear of it. 6. (in a contract) The Parties will be released from their responsibility for partial or complete non-execution of their liabilities under the Contract, should this non-execution be caused by the circumstances of forces majeure, namely: fire, flood, earthquake. Voice 1. Relations between the Chinese and the Malays, who make up 15% of Singapore's population, have sometimes been strained. Malay remains the national language, but it is not spoken by most Chinese and is largely seen as a relic of Singapore's past union with Malaysia. 2. In the USA 12 newborns are given to the wrong parents daily. Sequence on Tenses 1) Mr. Tsarapkin said on arrival yesterday that he was "optimistic" about the resumed conference. 2) Expressing his concern the Hungarian leader said there were some misunderstandings about economic reforms which were hampering them from united approaches. 3) The British Social Security Minister pointed out that the three year freeze had reduced the value of child benefit by a fifth. 4) French President called for a new European Community treaty. He stressed it would have let more opportunities to build the common European home. 2.2. Syntax. Interpret trying to avoid grammatical mistakes. Coimment on the difference in grammatical systems of English and Russian Formal subject a) Come and taste the coffee that we make in Sweden. b) One never knows when he gets mad. c) You can't help loving him. d) There was no resisting them. To him there is no escaping the fact that man is an evil animal. Negation in translation a) Thin is not only considered beautiful. It is also synonymous with being in good shape and that means being healthy. b) "Do you think he'll pay the money back?" "No, I don't think he will. Non-finite forms and constructions a) Based on current knowledge and experience, waste discharged at these concentrations and in the specified manner is not expected to cause significant adverse environmental effects. b) The report calls for the monarchy in the UK to become profes¬sional and accountable. c) With consumer prices in the euro area only 1% higher than they were a year ago, there is little risk of currency depreciation causing a dangerous surge in inflation. d) Yet the way men define their role has remained remarkably con¬sistent. Surveys show that being a good provider is at the top of the list. e) They expect that the Prime Minister will try to suppress criticism by pleading that matters are at a delicate stage. f) He insisted that France was as interested as anyone in bringing the budget and agricultural spending in the EU under control. g) Fleur suddenly stood up leaning out of the window, with her chin on her hands. How complicated syntax can get… (from Regulations for management of a company limited by shares, UK, 1985) Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, on a show of hands every member who (being an individual) is present in person or (being a corporation) is present by a duly authorised representative, not being himself a member entitled to vote, shall have one vote and on a poll every member shall have one vote for every share of which he is the holder. The chairman may, with the consent of a meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at an adjourned meeting other than business which might properly have been transacted at the meeting had the adjournment not taken place. ARGUMENT by Jonathan Swift (of Gulliver’s Travels) Written in the Year 1708 To Prove, That the Abolishing of CHRISTIANITY in ENGLAND, May, as Things now Stand, be attended with some Inconveniences, and perhaps, not produce those many good Effects proposed thereby. The essay opens as that: I AM very sensible what a weakness and presumption it is to reason against the general humour and disposition of the world. I remember it was with great justice, and a due regard to the freedom, both of the public and the press, forbidden upon several penalties to write, or discourse, or lay wagers against the — even before it was confirmed by Parliament; because that was looked upon as a design to oppose the current of the people, which, besides the folly of it, is a manifest breach of the fundamental law, that makes this majority of opinions the voice of God. In like manner, and for the very same reasons, it may perhaps be neither safe nor prudent to argue against the abolishing of Christianity, at a juncture when all parties seem so unanimously determined upon the point, as we cannot but allow from their actions, their discourses, and their writings. However, I know not how, whether from the affectation of singularity, or the perverseness of human nature, but so it unhappily falls out, that I cannot be entirely of this opinion. Nay, though I were sure an order were issued for my immediate prosecution by the Attorney-General, I should still confess, that in the present posture of our affairs at home or abroad, I do not yet see the absolute necessity of extirpating the Christian religion from among us. III. Read the jokes. Which grammatical phenomena make some of the sentences ambiguous and therefore funny? 1. Seargent: “Who likes moving pictures?” (Most of the men eagerly step forward.) “All right, you fellows carry the pictures from the basement to the attic.” 2. – What has four legs and flies? – I don’t know. – Your dinner table. 3. An angler was staying at an inn situated close to a river which provided good fishing, and desirous of getting some bait, he said to the servant-maid: “I say, girl, can I get a horse-fly here?” The girl looked wooden. “Have you ever seen a horse-fly in these parts?” “No, sir, but I once saw a cow jump over the fence.” 4. Mother: “Jimmie, run over and see how old Mrs. Smith is this morning.” Jimmie (returning): “She said to tell you it was none of your business.” Mother: ‘Why Jimmy, what in the world did you ask her?” Jimmie: “Just what you told me to. I said you wanted to know how old she was.” 5. – My secretary spells atrociously. – She must be pretty good. I can’t spell that. 6. A lady had just bought a postage stamp. “May I stick it on myself?” “Positively not, Madame. It will accomplish more if you stick it on the envelope.”